


Four Birthdays Prince Zuko Remembers (And One He Doesn't)

by J (j_writes)



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-30
Updated: 2011-07-30
Packaged: 2017-10-22 00:01:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/231355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/j_writes/pseuds/J
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The night Zuko was born, the Fire Nation rejoiced.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Four Birthdays Prince Zuko Remembers (And One He Doesn't)

**Author's Note:**

> written for Inmyriadbits on the occasion of her birthday.

For Zuko's fourth birthday, he asked for a dragon, so it could teach him to firebend.

His father laughed at that in a way Zuko loved to hear, a way that said he'd done something right, but when his birthday came, there was no dragon waiting for him inside any of his packages.

Instead, his mother lit the candles on his cake, and Azula leaned over him to blow them out. His cousins started handing him birthday presents, and Azula was the one to tear the paper off them, giggling and throwing it in the air like confetti. The band played Zuko's favorite songs, and he sat on the stairs and watched everyone in the room dance around with Azula perched on their shoes.

It wasn't until he returned to his room, tired and unhappy, that he found a small ceramic dragon perched atop his dresser, blowing out a sharp delicate crystal flame. After his mother kissed him good night, he crawled out of bed and sat in front of the dragon, watching the way the candle in the corner made colors flicker across the walls.

It only survived until Azula was old enough to reach the dresser.  
______________

He got his first kiss on his twelfth birthday, sitting on a fountain and looking up at the fireworks being set off above them.

Her lips were soft and hesitant, and when she pulled back her face was lit blue from the sparks above. "Happy birthday," she said, and left him sitting there alone on the cold marble.

She was one of Azula's friends. He didn't know her name.  
______________

His first birthday after being banished, he forgot what day it was at all.

It was hard to keep track of time on a ship, when the movement of the sun varied depending on location, so Zuko rarely bothered. He trusted his uncle and his men to remind him when days were important.

It wasn't until Iroh sat down next to him that night and slid a cup of tea across the table that he remembered. There was a flame flickering above the liquid. "Make a wish," Iroh said.

Zuko turned away and ignored the cup.

"Ah, I see," said Iroh. "You are perfectly content, and have nothing in your life to wish for. I envy you."

Zuko sighed heavily. "You know what I'd wish for," he said. "And you know there's no chance of it coming true. So what's the point?"

"Hope," said Iroh, contemplating his own tea. "Hope is always the point. If you don't have that…" he gestured and didn't continue. He sat there for a while, sipping his tea in silence. When he left, the flame was still dancing beside Zuko, casting shadows against the wall.

When his footsteps had finally faded away, Zuko leaned over and blew out the candle.  
______________

He didn't tell the Avatar and his friends that it was his birthday, because none of them would care anyway.

Instead, he spent the day firebending with Aang, then made fun of Sokka's cooking skills for a while until Katara snapped at him and made him cook dinner instead. It was fish, and he coaxed the fire towards the right portions of it, heating it evenly until it was perfectly cooked. Even Katara had to admit it was the best dinner they'd had in weeks.

Because of that, the only present Zuko got was the position of permanent cook for their little group.

That night, he sprawled out on his bedroll, awake, and watched the stars as he listened to the others sleep.

"Stop thinking so loud," Toph finally demanded, rolling close enough to kick him in the leg.

"Sorry," he said, and tried to think of nothing.

A few minutes passed, and she rolled over on her back. "I'd ask if you want some company stargazing, but…" she waved a hand over her face.

He wasn't sure what the right response to that was, so he just nodded.

"There is this story, though," she continued, "about these stars…they're supposed to be in the form of a rampaging badgermole. Because a long time ago, there was this badgermole who lived in the side of a mountain…"

Zuko lay back and closed his eyes, and listened to Toph tell stories about the Earth Kingdom's constellations until he fell into a deep sleep.  
______________

The night Zuko was born, the Fire Nation rejoiced.

His mother watched him sleep in the flashing colored lights from the fireworks outside, cradling him against her chest.

"You are going to be a great man someday," she told him, and on the table beside her the candle flickered and sparked.


End file.
